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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · cue · mine · coach · shower · lean · row · track

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to bend
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — thin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — a signal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. row — a line
  23. cue — for pool
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com